Tire-stitching machine.



R. GRIFFITH.

TIREfSTlTCHlNG MACHINE. APPuc/(non FILED mm. 1916.

Patented Jan. 16; 1917.

I I 4-SHEETS-SHEET 1 Inventor: Richard Cirq'jfv'th,

R. GRIFFITH.

TIRE STITCHING MACHINE. APPLICATION mm mm. 1916. I 4 1,212,207. PatentedJan. 16,1917.

4 swans-sum 2.

'R. GRIFFITH.

TIRE STITCHING MACHINE. APPLICATION nuau MAR.9. 191s.

Patented Jan. 16, 1917.

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ZWUBMOT'L a. GRIFFITH. TIRE STITCHINGMACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9,i916- 1,212,207. v Patented Jan.16,1917.

4 SHEE.TS"SHEET 4.

a citizen of the aneans. Fig.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD GRIFFITH, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO'THE MILLER RUBBER COMPANY,OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

I TIRE-STITCHING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, RICHARD (iltlhh'l'l'll, United States, residing atAkron, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'lire-Stitching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in machines or apparatusfor applying or stitching tire forming material onto cores or mandrels.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, itv has been customary to feed thematerial in strip form to a revoluble core and to perform the shaping orstitching of the fabric down around the sides of the core. by a devicemovable radially of the core, and propelled either by hand, or'by powercontrolled by hand.

One of the objects of the 'iresent machine is to devise a constructionwhich will not require such radial movement with its manual control,thereby making the machine more nearly automatic.

Other objects are to provide apparatus capable of more rapid operation,and-more etii'cient results, and including also various desirablefeatures as will hereinafter appear. invention With such objects inview, the includes the novel. features of construction andarrangement'and combination ot parts as defined by the bodiment of theinvention being described in the following specification with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in whichigure' 1 is a side elevation ofsuch a machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation. Fig. 4 is a detail View in sectional plan of the trimming 5is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, showing one'of thestitching wheels and its supporting means. Figs. 6 and 7 are detailviews, taken at right angles, of the supporting plates 5).

Referring by reference characters to these drawings, A designates arevoluble core or mandrel which is intended to be representative ofanyordinary or improved term of core. It may be supported in anysuitable manner and means, but as these, per so, the present invention,illustration and description thereof is deemed unnecessary. Associatedwith such revoluble. (COIOlS a rotatable carrier or turret 1 journaledto rotate Specification of Letters Patent.

driven much more rapidly than the carrier appended clain'is, an em-*cured to the power driven by any desired t'orm no part of Patented Jan.16, 1917.

Application filed March 9, 1916. Serial No. 83,209.

't'cd to the core under proper tension from any suitable source ofsupply, not shown, and will be caused by such tension to adhere to thesurface of the core, or the underlying pli is back to about the mediumline indicated at u-a-, Fig. 2.

For shaping orstitching the material to the core for the remainingdistance, I provide, upon the rotatable turret or carrier, a pluralityof shaping o'r stitching devices adapted to be brought successively intocooperative relation to the core. and to act progressively upon the tireforming material t'ed thereto.

It willbe lnnlerstood that the core will be or turret and that eachsuccessive shaping device, as it comes into operative position,

will act to shape or stitch the material farther around the sides of thecore. until the last stitcher oi the series has been reached when theoperation, so farvas an individual ply in concerned, is complete, thesaid shaping devices repeating their cycle of operations on eachsuccessive ply.

"The shaping or stitching devices carried by the turret are duplicatesof each other, so that a description of .one pair will sullice for all,the only ditl'erence being that each succeeding pair is or adjusted toact. slightly :turther than'the preceding pair. In other words, e'achsucceeding pair of stitchers takes up the work at a. point slightlyshort of the termination oi the work of the preceding pair and carriesit. a. step farther.

The shaping or stitching devices are shown as supported from the carrierby pairs of diverging arms 2, and are preferably in the form of disks orrollers 21 having stud shafts 2i journaled in bearing members 14,(preferably on ball bearings) and held in position by nuts 17. Thesebearing menrbers 14. are formed on or seendsof rods 14?, which pass'throngl'i openings in lugs or brackets 5) carried. by plates or disks 9.These latter are rotatably connected to bosses 10 on arms Qfby bolts ll;The bolts 14* carry lugs 14" from which project pins 16, which passthrough openings in the lugs 9, whereby the rods 14 are held againstrotation. Each disk 9 carries an upstanding'post 9 opposite the lugs 9,which has an opening to receive the end of rod 14*, said end beingthreaded to carry holding nuts 9.

Each upstanding portion or lug' 9 has a cylindrical portion 5) which isengaged by the eye of an eyebolt .20, the other end of which passesthrough the eye of a lug 2 carried by the end of a bolt 2", which boltis supported in the opening formed in a lug 20, on the bracket '2.Encircling each eye bolt 20 is a spring 20 which bears at one endagainst said lug 2, and at the other against a collar 20" secured to therod. Tlms on contact of the disks .21 with the core or material thereon,any undue resistance, due to irregularities in the fabric or anywabbling of the core, will cause the arms 14 to rock on pivots 11against the ten sion of springs'QOf. I also arrange the disk mountingsso that said disks can recede under spring pressure in the planes of thedisks, this being accomplished by the rods 14 being slidably held in-thelugs 9 and 'connected by link 9* and being encircled by springs 14,which bear against the lugs 9" atone end and at the other end againstcollars 14 on the rods 14.

The carrier 1 is removably clamped to a drive shaft 13 between clampingcollars & and friction disks 5, the necessary clamping effect beingsecured by hand wheel 6 having its hub screwed onto the threadedextension 7 of shaft B. Said shaft is journaled in suitable bearings Cof the main frame C and derives its motion through bevel gears 8 and 85,vertical shaft 85 and worm wheel 88 fast on said shaft and meshing withworm tl-t loose on drive shaft 86. Said drive shaft 96 is driven fromany suitable source of power, such as motor shaft I) through drivingconnections. shown as chain and sprockets. Splined on shaft 86 is amovable clutch member 86 and a corresponding clutch member S6 isconnected with worm 94.

(lutch member 86 can be shifted to connect or disconnect worm 9 withdrive shaft 86 by forked lever 87 pivoted at 87 to supporting bracket 91and having its outer end 00 with a vertical lever 78 having its lowerend pivoted at 81 and having an intermediate portion, indicated at 80,connected by rod 76 with an arm 79 on a rock shaft 82, in convenientreach of the operator. Means are provided to enable the operator to rocksaid shaft to shift the movable clutch member, and such means may takethe form of a pair of treadle arms 77 extending in opposite directions.Thus by pressure of the foot of the operator on one of the. trcadle,arms, the carrier maybe started to rotating, thereby causing thepairs ofstitchers to be successively brought into operative relation to thecore. and after the carrier has made a comp.v LU rotation, pressure onthe other treadle disconnects it from the power shaft. It is desirablein machines of this character, that means shall be provided for applyingbead rings after a certain number of plies of material have beenstitched upon the core. To provide for this, I secure to the carrier, ata convenient point between certain of'the pairs of stitching devices,arms 2" to which are pivoted levers 43, upon the outer ends of which arejournaled bead ring applying rollers 37. The inner ends of these armsengage recesses in nuts ,or blocks 40, which are carried'by threaded rod49. rotatably supported by the carrier 1. A wheel it, fast on one end ofthis rod, carries a handle 45 by which the rod may be rotated, wherebythe nuts 40 may be caused to approach or recede from each other, due tothe portions of the rod on opposite sides of the carrier being reverselythreaded. During the stitching operation the hand wheel would beoperated to rock the arms so as to separate the rolls 3? sufficiently topermit them to pass freely by the sides of the core. \Vhen the beadrings are to he applied, the carrier is adjusted or retated (which maybe done by hand, the power being disconnected) to bring the bead ringapplying rolls 37 into proper position, (which would be in direct linebetween the axis of the core and the axis of the carrier, such asoccupied by stitchers 21, Fig. 1), and the carrier then being at rest,the hand wheel is rotated to rock the arms to cause the rolls 37 to bebrought into bead-ring applying position, see Fig. 3. Thereafter thebeadrings, being fed in between the rotating core and the rolls 37, will beproperly positioned and pressed against the core. the degree of pressurebeing determined by the adjustment of the arms.

It is also desirable that means shall be provided for trimming the edgesof the applied layers. Such means may take, the form shown more indetail in Fig. 4, wherein is shown a pair of arms 2 secured at aconvenient point to the carrier. To the outer ends of these arms arepivoted levers 30, the inner ends of which rest in recesses in nuts orthreaded blocks 40 engaging the reversely threaded portions of rod 42.This rod is rotatably supported by the carrier and is provided at oneend with wheel 4t having handle 45. Plates or bars 29 secured to theouter ends of the levers 30 have each a pair of apertures in which areslidingly held the rods 27 and 28 carried by plates or members 26, whichmenibers have forked portions 26." Between the armsof such forkedportions are journaled cutting disks 24. When the plies or layers are tobe trimmed, the cutters, (which during the stitching operation have beenseparated a distance greater than the thickness of the core, so as to beineffective) are first brought which trimming is effected adapted to layor stitch the plies on the core and under the bead rings, to apply-thebead rings, and to stitch other layers down to the bead rings. Afterthis has been done and before the layers are trimmed, the outer layersor plies require to be stitched over the bead rings. To enable this tobe done, I provide a .pair of stitching wheels or disks 5% rotatablycarried by arms 53 adjustably secured to the upstanding arms 52 of hellcrank levers 52, which are pivoted tolugs 47 and 48 carried by slides 47and 48. These slides are mounted to reciprocate transversely of theplane of the core, and are provided 'with opposed racks which engage onopposite sides with the teethof a gear wheel 50. This gear wheel is faston a shaft 60, which shaft carries another gear 56 which meshes with agear 5.). This last named gear is fast on crank shaft 61, the crank 61of which is connected by pitman 6!) with treadle lever 71, which latteris normally held elevated by spring 72. Pressure on the treadle lever,through the connections above described, causes the stitching wheels54-, to move toward the core and engage the fabric and stitch the samedown around the bead rings.

llaviug thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable core, acarrier associated therewith and rotatable about an axis parallel to theaxis of said core, and stitch ing means carried by said carrier.

2. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable core, acarrieassociated therewith and rotatable about an axis parallel with the axisof said core, and a plurality of pairs of stitching devices carried bysaid carrier. -2. Apparatus of the class described comprising arotatable core. a' rotatable carrier associated therewith, and aplurality of pairs of stitching devices carried by said carrier andarranged to act at different distances from the axis of the carrier.

1. Apparatus of the class described comp! ising a rotatable core, acarrier associated therewith and rotatable about an axis parallel to theaxis of said core, and a plurality of pairs of stitching devices carriedby said devices to prising carrier, and bead placing devices supportedfrom said carrier.

Apparatus of therewith and rotatable about an axis parallel: to the axisof said core, and a plurality of pairs of stitching devices carrier, andtrimming means carrier.

6. Apparatus of prising a rotatable therewith and rotatable about allelwith the axis'of said core, and a plurality of pairs of stitchingdevices carried by said carrier and adapted during its rotacarried bysaid the class described comtion to act progressively over the face ofthe core.

7. Apparatus of the'class'described comprising a rotatable core, arotatable carrier associated therewith, a plurality of pairs ofstitching devices carried by said carrier, means for rotating saidcarrier to cause said successively act upon the material on the core,means for disconnecting said carrier from its source of power, and otherdevices carried by said carrier for cooperating with the material on thecore while the carrier is stationary.

8. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable core, arotatable carrier associated therewith, power driven means for slowlyrotating said core, means for disconnecting said power to permit thecarrier to be stationary in any desired position, stitching devices onsaid carrier rendered effective by the rotation of the carrier and beadapplying devices on the carrier with means for rendering them operativeWhile the carrier is stationary.

5). Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable core, arotatable carrier associated therewith, power driven means for slowlyrotating said core, means for'disconnecting said power to permit thecarrier to be stationary, in any desired position, stitching devices onsaid carrier brought into operative relation to the core by the rotationof the carrier, and trimming devices on the carrier with means forrendering them operative while the carrier is stationary.

10. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable core, arotatable carrier, a. device on said carricrbrought into operative reation to the core by the rotation of the carrier for shaping materialabout the core, stitching the tire material under and to the beads, andstitching devices independent of said carrier for stitching the materialaround the beads.

11. Apparatus of the class described coma rotatable core, and aplurality of pairs of stitching devices, moving in paths which intersectsaid core at progressively decreasing distances from the axis of thecore, and means for successively bringing said the class describedcomprising a'rotatable core, a carrierassoclated carried by said core, acarrier associated an axis par-v stitching devices into contact with thecore during its rotation.

12. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable core, arotatable turret, a plurality of pairs of diverging arms carried by saidturret, and a plurality of pairs of stitching devices yieldably carriedby said arms.

13. In a tire building machine, a pivoted member, a stitcher carryingelement, a stitching disk rotatably mounted on said element,said'element being carried by said member to have reciprocating movementperpendicular to the axis or" said disk, spring means acting on saidslidable element, and means tending to rock said pivoted member.

l-l. cans for supporting stitching disks in the building machinescomprising a suitable support, a plate pivoted thereon having projectinglugs on opposite sides of its pivot, a rod slidably guided in said lugsand carrying a stitching device, a spring exerting tension on said rod,a second rod having one end pivotally connected to one of said lugs andits other end slidable in a suitable guide, and a spring exertingpressure on said second rod.

15. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable core, adrive shaft disposed parallel with the axis of the core and having afree end, a carrier removably supported on said free end, and aplurality of pairs of stitching devices carried by said carrier.

16. Apparatus of the class described c0mprising a rotatable core, adrive shaft dis: posed parallel with the axis of the core, a carrierremovably supported by said drive shaft, and a plu'ality of stitchingdevices supported from said carrier.

17. Apparatus of the class described comprising a rotatable core, adrive shaft disposed parallel to the axis of the core, a carrier looseon the drive shaft, friction means for clamping the carrier to the driveshaft, a plurality of devices supported from the carrier for cooperatingwith the core, and means for connecting and disconnecting said driveshaft with a source of power at will.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RICHARD GRIFFITH.

\Vitnesses C. 0. ow, M. D. MASKREY.

